If music be the food of love, then where better to dine out than a world-class concert hall or opera house? Here, Architonic examines a number of recently completed architectural projects that perform as hard as the artists who take to their stages. Play on. (by Simon Cowell)

Following severe criticism for its soaring costs and the heads of its initiators having rolled, the city of Hamburg was finally able to hold a topping-out ceremony for its new Elbphilharmonie, designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Thanks to some very generous Hamburg citizens, more than €77 million has been raised through donations and other means of revenue against a total construction cost of €400 million.

The glass-structured design sits on top of Kaispeicher A, a historic redbrick landmark building within ‘HafenCity’ (Harbour City), Europe’s biggest urban construction site.

One of three concert halls: Elbphilharmonie, image by Herzog & de Meuron

Elbphilharmonie, image by Herzog & de Meuron

Herzog & de Meuron during the roofing ceremony, photo by HamburgMusik/ Michael Zapf

Mon 14.12.

LED wall at the Reconstruction of the Congress and Concert Hall in Moscow by OTASH studio

The ‘State Kremlin Palace’ in Moscow was built in 1961, under Nikita Khruschev, as a modern arena for Communist Party congresses and conferences, performances and concerts. The main part of the building is one of Europe’s biggest and finest auditoriums with 6000 seats,used mostly for concerts and ballet performances today. It is also the scene of the Kremlin Ballet Theatreand the second stage of the Bolshoi Theatre. Almost 50 years after its construction Russian authorities decided to give a new contemporary look to the buidling and upgrade its performance. The Moscow and Belgrade based OTASH studio created a new interior concept for the the concert hall.

LED wall by OTASH studio

Here is what the architects explain:

“The basic concept of the architecural team was to preserve as much of the previously existing geometry of the Hall and, with the use of Led lighting integrated into the wall panelling, to create the effect of large screens so that the whole interior would actively participate in the scenic experience, allowing a director vast possibilities in the conceptualization of plays. Such use of technology gives this reconstructed Hall multifunctionality, which was main task the architectural team was presented with.”

LED wall by OTASH STUDIO

“Applying the new acoustic solutions to the design of the interior was a particular challenge, as it required the sheathing of all surfaces with specially designed acoustic panels (high frequency and low frequency). For these panels to act properly, the sheathing before them had to be more than 50% sound permeable, which was accomplished by different manners of perforation and the use of acoustic materials. Precisely these facts had a significant effect on the final appearance and characteristics of the Hall, which is now included among the most technologically advanced halls in the world.”

Applied acoustic panels, by OTASH STUDIO

The auditorium was inaugurated on 4th of November 2009, in the presence of distinguished state and public representatives.